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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25107694">out of breath</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnyongclub/pseuds/johnyongclub'>johnyongclub</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Confessions, First Kiss, M/M, Walks On The Beach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:20:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,274</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25107694</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnyongclub/pseuds/johnyongclub</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Doyoung and Jaehyun go for a midnight walk at the beach.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>out of breath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this is part of my SCAU (summer camp au) on twitter. i don't think you need to read that to know what's going on but check it out if you want to! just a short one, enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It's cold for a summer night in the middle of July so Doyoung is glad he'd grabbed a jacket on the way out, making sure to not make so much noise in case he wakes the younger boys. They're fast asleep because it had been a long night, even though what tired them must have been their constant screaming and cheering through the performances earlier. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He and Jaehyun had sung a song to match the theme of the challenge and though they didn't win this week, Doyoung must admit that the entire process from thinking up ideas and executing it was a nice experience. When he'd first come to the camp a week ago, he didn't think it'd be this fun.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How he was appointed leader remains a mystery and while at first he had panicked because he lacked the leadership skills he knows Taeyong possesses, being in a team full of people who are coordinated makes it easier. Jeno and Jaemin are playful most of the time, though not as playful as Hendery and Dejun could be. Still, they work well when they need to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, Doyoung meets Jaehyun outside the cabin after having heard the younger slip out and he'd been offered to take a walk together. Jaehyun is… Well, Jaehyun is infuriating. He's calm and he works well but somewhere in that thick skull of his is the tendency to get on Doyoung's nerves, as if he's made it his life goal to anger him once a day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They remain quiet as they make their way towards the open beach. Doyoung makes sure to take off his pair of slippers to let his feet soak in the sand. The breeze is pretty cold and Jaehyun shows it by stuffing his hands into his pockets. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thank you for coming with me," Jaehyun says after a little while, their cabin far off in the distance. It's past midnight so there aren't anyone left, probably because they are supposed to be up early tomorrow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung purses his lips. "No problem. Was there anything particular that kept you up?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Not really," Jaehyun shakes his head. "A little bummed out that we didn't win. But that could be because I am a very sore loser," He laughs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You mean competitive?" Doyoung adds with a laugh to mirror Jaehyun's. "Nah, it's cool. Anyone would be bummed out too. We'll do better and then maybe we'd have a chance next week."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaehyun nods, dimples punctured in each cheek as he remains smiling. They fall into another silence but unlike all the times before, it isn't uncomfortable or awkward. They simply… exist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The silence is broken by the multiple pings going off on Doyoung's phone. His first thought is that it could be Taeyong or Johnny but when he unlocks his phone, the familiar unsaved number blares on the screen, holding a few messages he doesn't want to read. He rolls his eyes and pockets the cell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's Seongwu, obviously; his ex of two years, the same one who left him at the end of last year because he chose his best friends. Seongwu, of all people, knew just how much Taeyong and Johnny meant to Doyoung and it had hurt deeply when he was given an ultimatum; his friends or Seongwu.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Clearly he'd chosen the ones who didn't make him choose. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaehyun must have noticed his distress because when he speaks again, his voice is kind. "Trouble?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn't owe Jaehyun any explanation but Doyoung says it anyway. "Yeah. It's my ex. He hasn't left me alone since the start of camp."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Block him then," Jaehyun says easily and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> be easy but Doyoung doesn't know why he hasn't. His silence makes Jaehyun laugh. "Hey, I get it. Exes are hard to shake off, even though we tell ourselves we're over them. Maybe you need closure."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung winces. "I'm not sure that's the case. I'll just be honest with you. He did something really fucked up last year. He knows how much my friendships mean to me and he still stood there and complained about how much he hates Johnny and Taeyong with his whole chest. Said if I want to be with him I can't be friends with them."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Damn," Jaehyun whistles. "Any red flags from before?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"See that's the thing!" Doyoung throws his arms out, frustrated all over again. "He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Like, I didn't even know he didn't like my friends until he pulled me aside and made me fucking choose. God. I'm sorry, I'm just angry."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He sighs, already feeling a dull throb forming in his temple and knowing it's stupid to let Seongwu be the reason he's stressing again. He nearly jumps when Jaehyun touches his elbow but he doesn't pull away and lets his fingers linger there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm sorry he's giving you a hard time," Jaehyun says. "But like I said, you either block him or you talk to him one last time."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaehyun's right, Doyoung knows that. He nods his head and they slow to a stop before they both turn to face the sea. It's dark so they barely see anything. Doyoung's phone buzzed again. He ignored it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His lips part to speak but Jaehyun beats him to it. "Hey, alright if I tell you something?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung squints. They aren't close enough to be spilling secrets to each other. Then again, he did just vent to Jaehyun about his ex so offering a listening ear is really just a favor. He nods once, curtly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I like you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung chokes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaehyun doesn't look fazed. "I thought it was obvious. I know we've only met a week ago but your friends Jeonghan and Joshua have kinda been telling me things about you ever since you tweeted that picture of me. And I swear I didn't stalk you or anything but I thought you were pretty cool."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung grimaces at the memory of his embarrassing slip up when he'd posted the picture of Jaehyun on his main. He puts the blame partly on the people in the vocal group chat he's in but even he knows posting it in the first place was his choice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not expecting you to say anything," Jaehyun says. Doyoung can't help but think that if he was in Jaehyun's place, he wouldn't even be able to stand straight. "It's sudden and you have this weird ex thing going on but I don't think there's anything wrong with telling you that I, you know, fancy you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fancy</span>
  </em>
  <span> me?" Doyoung laughs before he stops himself, clearing his throat. "I mean… Thanks? I don't know, Jaehyun. All you've done this week is annoy me to death."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's Jaehyun's turn to laugh and Doyoung mirrors it. It's surprisingly not mortifyingly awkward, which is nice. For a moment, they just smile at each other. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then Jaehyun takes a step forward. "Can I kiss you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung blinks. His lips part and his hands are freezing for some reason and his heart is beating so fast and he has no fucking idea why. But he nods his head and Jaehyun smiles. He smiles and then he leans forward and Doyoung's eyes close. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Their mouths touch. It's soft and brief and Jaehyun pulls away as quickly as his lips had descended upon Doyoung's. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It feels like a fever dream and it leaves Doyoung just slightly out of breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"When you're ready," Jaehyun says after, breaking down the wall that had kept Doyoung apart from reality. "I'll show you what a real kiss feels like."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Doyoung would be lying if he said he doesn't wonder just how breathless that real kiss would leave him. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>find me on <a href="https://twitter.com/johnyongclub">twitter</a> or <a href="https://curiouscat.qa/johnyongclub">cc</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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